No Choice
by Ahuri
Summary: Vaughn meets a sister he never knew he had, and over the years they become closer than ever. But when Sydney is threatened and his sister kidnapped to get something Vaughn has, he must choose between his sister and Sydney.


Title: No Choice  
  
Author : Ahuri  
  
E-mail: ahuri_enfant@hotmail.com  
  
Feedback: Yes, please!  
  
Distribution: Sure, just email me first, please.  
  
Disclaimer: I made it all up.and I own nothing!  
  
Summary: Vaughn meets a sister he never knew he had, and over the years they become closer than ever. But when Sydney is threatened and his sister kidnapped to get something Vaughn has, he must choose between his sister and Sydney.  
  
Rating: PG-13  
  
Classification: AU, Action, Drama, Angst  
  
A/N: I'm working with my limited knowledge of the French language here, so please excuse any mistakes.  
  
  
  
*  
  
  
  
* July 26, 2000 *  
  
She pushed the green beans around her plate, her head resting on her hand. The heat that  
  
summer in Paris was suffocating, and the sweat trickling down her back made her wish  
  
fervently for air-conditioning.  
  
"Catherine!" Her mother's voice broke into her daydreams. "Eat your food, don't  
  
play with it. You're fourteen years old, you should should know better."  
  
"Oui, Maman," she replied, and the dinner was finished in silence. Her mother got  
  
up to begin clearing the dishes, and her father lit his pipe. She rose to help her mother, as  
  
she did every night, but her father stopped her.  
  
"Catherine, chèrie, there is something we must speak to you about." Catherine sat  
  
back down, puzzled.  
  
"What is it, Papa, Maman?" she asked quietly. Her mother left the dishes and  
  
joined them at the table.  
  
"You're fourteen now, ma fille. Almost fifteen. So grown-up." Catherine smiled.  
  
"And it's past time that your mother and I told you something about yourself. We believe  
  
that you are old enough now." Her father cut himself off and glanced at her mother, who  
  
nodded.  
  
"It's time that you know where you are from."  
  
"What do you mean? I know where I'm from, right here in Paris."  
  
"Non, ma chèrie. You were born in America, in Los Angeles, California."  
  
Catherine shook her head.  
  
"That is not possible." Her father sighed.  
  
"As much as we wish it weren't so, you were not born to the two of us. Eveline  
  
adopted you when you were only a year and a half."  
  
"Then who are my real parents?"  
  
"Chèrie, I am your real father. But Eveline adopted you when we were married."  
  
"I don't understand."  
  
"Ma fille, you were born to a woman I dated a very long time ago. She was  
  
widowed, and was not ready for another child. We parted before you were born, and it  
  
was agreed that I would take you back to France with me. I met Eveline here, and when  
  
we married, she became your mother." Catherine was silent a moment.  
  
"You had an affair with this woman," Catherine said. It was a statement of a fact,  
  
but it was a question as well. Pierre Marteau nodded.  
  
"What is her name?"  
  
"Her name is Marie Vaughn." Her father paused, and Eveline spoke up.  
  
"Catherine, you know we both love you with all of our hearts. We just felt that  
  
before, you were too young to handle the truth. We didn't feel that you needed to know it.  
  
I am sorry we did not tell you earlier." She nodded slowly, and made a decision.  
  
"I want to meet her." Her father frowned.  
  
"What do you mean? Catherine."  
  
"I said, I want to meet her. I am going to meet her. It is the least you can do for  
  
me." The anger that she was working hard to hide revealed itself a little in her voice.Her  
  
father nodded slowly, and Eveline said nothing.  
  
"You will meet her."  
  
  
  
*  
  
  
  
The house looked like all the rest - small, well-kept, and comfortable. She checked the  
  
address once more to make sure that she had the right house. The address was correct, as  
  
it had been the last time she checked, but still she hesitated to ring the doorbell. Stalling  
  
for time, she studied the house. It was two stories high, with small, bright windows that  
  
were framed in mauve shutters. The rest of the house was covered in white shingles. A  
  
nice enough house, she allowed, but wasn't so sure about its occupant. Finally, her gaze  
  
landed on the door, colored the same shade as the window shutters, and the gold lion's  
  
head knocker centered on it. She took a breath. It's now or never, she thought. She  
  
stepped forward and knocked on the door. After a moment, a light switched on and the  
  
door opened. A middle-aged woman with brown hair and gentle blue eyes stood looking  
  
back at her.  
  
"How may I help you?" she asked kindly. Catherine took a deep breath  
  
"Marie Vaughn?" she asked. The woman nodded, a slightly guarded look on her  
  
face.  
  
"I am.I think I am.your daughter." The woman gasped and took a step back,  
  
putting a hand to her heart.  
  
"Catherine?" she whispered, before slumping to the ground in a faint. Catherine  
  
looked around, panicked. This was not the reaction she had expected. Seeing no one  
  
nearby, she ran into the house, looking for a phone. Turning a corner, she ran straight into  
  
a tall, dark-haired man walking towards her. She gasped and flung herself backwards.  
  
"Who are you, and what are you doing in my mother's house?" he growled. Mute,  
  
she pointed to the door, backing up as he advanced. He looked at her quickly, then left  
  
her and ran to the front door. He reappeared seconds later with Marie in his arms, and  
  
walked past Catherine into the next room, where he laid Marie down on the sofa.  
  
Catherine followed, and stood watching from the doorway. He left the room for a  
  
moment and returned with a wet towel. He wiped the woman's face gently, speaking to  
  
her softly, until her eyes fluttered and she woke up.  
  
"Maman?" he said. "Est-ce que vous bien?" The woman sat up and waved him  
  
away.  
  
"Je suis bien, Michael. Where did the girl go?"  
  
"Je suis ici, Madame." Michael looked up sharply at her French. The woman  
  
looked at her and sighed, patting the cushion next to her.  
  
"Come sit down, dear. We have much to talk about."  
  
"What is this all about?" the man called Michael asked.  
  
"Michael, I want you to meet my daughter, Catherine. Your half- sister."  
  
*  
  
Later that night, when everything had been sorted out, Catherine stood in the guest room  
  
looking out the window. She still couldn't believe how accepting Marie Vaughn had  
  
been, and how angry Michael Vaughn was. When she and Marie were alone later, she  
  
asked her about both. Marie had replied, "I always knew you would come, sooner or  
  
later. And Michael, alors, he'll get over it. He's angry at me, and at himself, not you,  
  
chèrie. He just can't believe he didn't realize I had a child." Catherine smiled, still  
  
relieved at the way she had been received by Marie Vaughn. She had told her everything  
  
she wanted to know about her, and her relationship with her father. Suddenly, she heard a  
  
footfall, and turned to see who it was.  
  
"Hello, Michael," she said quietly, and turned back to the window.  
  
"Hello, Catherine," he replied. He walked over to her and stood beside her,  
  
looking out the window and linking his hands behind his back. Finally, she broke the  
  
silence.  
  
"You know, I've always wanted an older brother," she said tentatively. Minutes  
  
passed, and then Michael turned towards her, and smiled.  
  
  
  
*  
  
  
  
* July 16, 2002 *  
  
Michael Vaughn sat at his desk, shoulders slumped, twirling the gold coin Catherine gave  
  
him a year ago. A knock at his door made him look up, and he grimaced as Eric Weiss  
  
entered the room.  
  
"Man, Mike, you gotta stop thinking about her," he said as he took the seat  
  
opposite Vaughn.  
  
"Did I say you could come in?" Vaughn said grumpily.  
  
"Ouch. Really, what's the matter, Mike? Is it something new, or is it just the usual  
  
agonizing over the fact that Sydney's a babe and you can't have her?" Vaughn sighed.  
  
"Actually, it's not about Sydney." Weiss widened his eyes in mock surpise and  
  
placed his hand to his chest.  
  
"Not about Sydney? You mean there's actually another woman in your life?"  
  
Vaughn laughed.  
  
"Yeah, there's another woman. My sister, Catherine." Weiss groaned half-  
  
heartedly.  
  
"Man, you had me all excited there for a moment. Though I am glad you're so  
  
tight with Catherine now. What's up with her?"  
  
"She's turning seventeen in a few days, and I have no clue as to what to get her.  
  
What do you get a seventeen year old girl? Any suggestions? It's got to be good." Weiss  
  
shook his head.  
  
"Nope, sorry, man. But you're right, it's got to be good. Man, that girl has done  
  
you a world of good since you met her, especially now, with Sydney. She can always  
  
cheer you up, even when I've failed." Weiss shook his head in disbelief at such a feat,  
  
and Vaughn laughed. The phone rang shrilly and Weiss hopped up, leaving the room with  
  
a catch-you-later wave. Vaughn nodded and picked up the phone.  
  
"Michael Vaughn speaking."  
  
"Yes, hello, Mr. Vaughn," replied a deep, almost mechanical voice.  
  
"May I ask who is speaking?"  
  
"You may, but I won't tell you." Vaughn sat up a little straighter.  
  
"What's going on?"  
  
"Mr. Vaughn. How is Sydney doing? Is she enjoying her job as a double agent? I  
  
hope so, because she won't be able to for very much longer."  
  
"Who the hell is this?"  
  
"Listen carefully, Mr. Vaughn. We know about you, and we know about Sydney.  
  
We want her CIA files, and we want them now."  
  
"Not a chance in hell!" Vaughn exploded.  
  
"Oh, but I think there is a chance. You see, we have Catherine."  
  
"What?"  
  
"Your dear sister, Catherine Marteau. She's ours. Say hello, Catherine." Vaughn  
  
heard a whimper in the background, then a hard slap and a weak, "Don't worry about me,  
  
Mike." Vaughn gripped the phone tighter, eyes blazing.  
  
"You're not going to get away with this!"  
  
"Oh, but I think we will. Now, you know the old pancake warehouse in  
  
downtown LA. Be there, 8:00 tonight with the files, or she's dead." The voice turned  
  
mocking. "Who's it gonna be, superhero? Sydney, or Catherine?" There was a harsh  
  
laugh, and the phone went dead.  
  
"Damnit!" Vaughn yelled, slamming the phone down. Grabbing his coat, he left  
  
the building at a run as he dialed a familiar number on his cellphone.  
  
  
  
*  
  
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